


Caged Dragon

by redpearl



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: 13x5, Angst, M/M, Non-Graphic Torture, Prisoner of War, Sexual Slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-01-09
Updated: 2011-01-19
Packaged: 2017-10-14 14:43:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/150375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redpearl/pseuds/redpearl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But it doesn't matter whether you love me or hate me, Dragon, as long as you understand that you belong to me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The night was deathly silent. There was no moon, and the few sparsely sprinkled stars weren't nearly enough to lift the oppressing darkness. The wall-to-wall glass window separated the world outside with an invisible barrier. Inside the barrier, Wufei lay still in his bed, watching the stars twinkle in the sky.

Wufei was enveloped in his bed partner’s warmth as the large body wrapped around his smaller frame. He listened as Treize's breathing evened into sleep, and then carefully negotiated his way out of the older man's confining arms. He treaded soundlessly across the room and came to stand before the wide glass window.

The air was cool, but Wufei didn't bother to put on a robe. He rather liked the coldness seeping through his pores and chilling his naked skin. He put his hands on the window glass and saw his face reflected on the gleaming surface, the faint visage disappearing into the blackness of the night sky.

And to think that once, he had been among the stars…

The weight of the gold band around his throat suddenly seemed too heavy to bear.

Wufei pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window and closed his eyes. Weariness was present in every part of his body. Beneath his eyelids he could still see the bright ball of light as Heero self-destructed, searing his eyes as the debris flew in all directions.

Heero always had been a lucky bastard.

A pair of strong arms slid around him, warm breath tickled his ear, "Trying to get away from me, Dragon?"

The teasing in that voice brought on a fresh surge of anger. Wufei stiffened, his voice cold, "I just wanted a few minutes alone."

"Tsk, tsk," Treize chided him, "Don't sulk. It's too late in the night for your tempers." A pause, then there was that smile in his voice again, "But it's the perfect time for something much more interesting…"

Treize's hands slid down Wufei’s body, caressing the smooth skin of his flat abdomen. They slid up to rub circles around his nipples, two fingers pinching one small brown bud.

Wufei gasped. He suddenly didn't feel cold anymore; warmth suffused through his body, and everywhere those hands touched brought on the tingling sensation of desire...

/ I hate you./

The hands moved down along his hip, his thighs, brushing past his hardening cock and fondling his balls. Wufei bit on his lower lip to prevent a soft moan from escaping as his body betrayed him once again.

/I hate this game you play. I hate how easily you can make me covet your touch./

He pushed forward into the hand that was now stoking his cock, faster and faster, on and on never ending, fanning the flame in his veins, bringing him closer and closer to climax.

/I hate you for what you’ve made me into./

Wufei choked back a frustrated cry as the hand on his erection abruptly stopped, just at the point when he was about to explode. Fingers of steel expertly circled around the root of his erection, preventing the completion he so desired. Strong arms held him prisoner, denying him a chance to take things into his own hands.

Wufei growled.

Treize chuckled, an amused sound, his voice light and good humoured, "Now what do we say, Dragon?"

Wufei bit back the retort that sprang up on his lips, humiliation burning on his cheeks. He knew what Treize wanted to hear. He hated the reality that it became easier and easier to give in to the older man.

"…Please…" he pleaded grudgingly.

The hand stoked, once, then stopped again. Waiting.

Wufei opened his eyes, staring ahead, his heart turned cold even as his body remained hot with the unreleased passion. The stars blinked at him in the dark velvety sky.

"Master."

Surrender tasted like ash in his mouth.

 

 

End of Prologue.


	2. Chapter One

The sun always came too early in the morning. Treize yawned as he dressed in his uniform. Wufei was still asleep. Poor boy, he thought, Treize had kept the Dragon up late last night. Although to be fair, Wufei had been the one who woke him up in the middle of the night.

But unfortunately, unlike ex-Gundam pilots, OZ generals were required to get up and go to work come the morning. Treize looked over to the bed to where the sleeping boy laid, hair all mussed and limbs askew. If he couldn't spend the morning in bed, he didn't see any reason why Wufei should.

Sauntering back to the boy's side, a wicked smile on his face, Treize sat down on the edge of the large bed and shook one exposed shoulder. "Wake up, sleepy head, time to get up."

Wufei made an annoyed sound from his throat and burrowed deeper into the bedclothes. Treize attempted to pull the cover off, but Wufei squirmed and held on to the sheets for dear life, grunting something that sounded suspiciously like a curse.

Making a strategic retreat, Treize went to the tray pour a cup of fresh hot coffee from the breakfast tray that had been brought in. He put the cup in front of the tip of the boy's nose; the effect was instantaneous. One dark bleary eye opened and locked on to the source of the aroma and two hands shot out to grab it before he completely woke up.

Trezie held onto the cup, not wishing to anything to spill and burn the boy. "Come on, get up, Dragon," Treize cajoled. "The sun is up."

Wufei reluctantly sat up and took the offered cup, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. An absolutely blissful look adorned his face as he took a sip; tipped his head back and savoured its taste.

He looked adorable. Trezie couldn't help but further mess up the sleep-tousled hair, and smiled as Wufei shot him a half-hearted glare.

Wufei sighed in contentment. He didn't feel alive before he had his first cup of real coffee. And there was Treize looking at him with fond indulgence.

It was quite… pleasant.

Immediately on the heel of that thought came shame: the shame that he could feel like this about his captor, a man who had destroyed all that was dear to him. With shame came anger: anger at this façade of domesticity, this tender little scene of morning ritual between two lovers, and anger at his easy capitulation to a little warmth and thoughtfulness.

"What's the hurry?" Taking refuge in familiar sarcasm and raising a perfect brow, he asked petulantly, "It's not like I have any big plans for today." Wufei wasn't even allowed to go outside of Treize's chambers.

Treize got up and fetched the breakfast tray for Wufei. He was a little annoyed that the boy deliberately ruined the good mood of this morning.

"Eat it before it gets cold, I don't want you to skip breakfast again." He set the tray on the bed beside Wufei, who looked up at him with a decidedly stubborn look on his face.

Treize shook his head in irritation and began to butter a piece of toast for the boy.

Who was the master here, anyway?

"I received some news just before you woke up," Treize said causally, watching Wufei's reactions from the corner of his eye. "We have your comrade," there was the slight tensing of the boy's body that would go unnoticed by anyone else, "pilot 02. I believe his name is Maxwell."

Wufei's eyes widened, "Duo? How?" Inside of him, he was screaming, ‘No, no, not another one!’

How many of them are left?

And how did everything fall apart so fast? Just a year ago, there had been still five of them: Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei. Then, there were Duo, Trowa and Quatre. Now, it would only be Trowa and Quatre who are still free and fighting.

Even Relena was gone and much to Wufei's surprise, for a girl that he had never considered as anything other than an annoyance, her death shook the world.

Perhaps the Gundam pilots lost heart after Heero died, but the fundamental common people lost faith after Relena was assassinated. The future looked bleak and hopeless. There seemed to be no reason to fight for anything anymore.

And just how had Duo gotten captured? Had he been trying to rescue Wufei? Treize had announced pilot 05 dead, but could his fellow pilots have discovered the truth? Was Duo's capture his fault?

"He wasn't here for you," Treize answered Wufei’s unvoiced question. He hated the fact that the OZ general could read him like a book. "Pilot 02 was captured trying to infiltrate one of our other bases."

"What are you going to do with him?" Wufei demanded before he thought better of it. ‘Stupid, stupid boy,’ he thought, ‘what did you think was going to happen?’

Treize looked amused. "What we usually do with prisoners of war. I have great hope that he could inform us of where he has hidden his Gundam."

Duo would never tell you anything. The sharp retort was on the tip of Wufei's tongue. However, the past six months had taught him that anyone could be broken, provided time and expertise.

"What's the matter?" Treize asked mildly. "Are you afraid that I would make the same offer to him that I made to you?" One long elegant finger traced the curve of the gold band around Wufei's throat, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"No!" Wufei denied hotly, not wanting to remember the crazy bargain he had made on the day his fate was sealed.

The first time he ever saw the gold collar…

\----------

 __

 _The sun glinted off the smooth surface of the slender gold band, beautiful and elegant in Treize's hand._

 _"What is it?" Wufei asked, although he suspected that he didn't want to know._

 _After he got captured during his last mission, the mission where everything that could possibly go wrong did go wrong, the OZ soldiers had taken him to Treize's private chambers. Instead of interrogating him, Treize offered him a sword and proposed a rematch._

 _And held out what could only be described as a slave collar._

 _"The prize of failure." Treize tapped his rapier against one long booted leg, looking as unflappable as ever._

 _Wufei's stomach clenched, his hand unconsciously tightened on his own sword. "And if I win?"_

 _"Then you are free to go," Treize promised._

 _It was a crazy proposition - giving a deadly enemy a chance to get free - and only Treize would propose it. But then, why not? Wufei's lips curved into a bitter little smile. Treize could afford the stakes if he should lose._

 _Wufei adjusted his footing, testing his muscles for readiness. Despite the disaster of the mission and the rough handling of his captors, he had obtained no serious damage. He was covered in grime and bloodstains from head to toe and his clothing was torn but otherwise he was fine._

 _He had as much a chance of beating Treize as any other time. And this time he would win._

 _Failure a second time was just too horrible to contemplate._

 _Facing Treize Khushrenada across drawn blades for the second time, they saluted to each other. The duel had begun._

 _Wufei could honestly say that it was the best fight he had ever fought. He did not make the mistake he had made the last time he fought Treize; he had kept his temper and stayed focused and in control throughout the fight._

 _Lunge, parry, coule, retreat, side-step, feint…The universe seemed to of contracted, to have compressed into the small space between him and his opponent, into the glaring of the gleaming blades, of the clanking sounds when the two swords met. He forgot everything else, the reason of the duel and the consequences of failure. The only thing mattered was the next charge of the sword and the rhythm of the fight._

 _When, at the end, after his sword was knocked out of his hand and the cold steel of Treize's rapier pressed against his vulnerable neck, Wufei closed his eyes, and despair welled inside his heart._

 _He had failed. Again._

 _"Kill me," he demanded. It was the same demand he had made the last time when he lost a duel to this man._

 _But like the last time, the cold steel was lifted from his neck._

 _"I think not," Treize replied._

 _Wufei opened his eyes. There was a flash of gold, as the collar landed in front of his feet._

 _"I believe we had an agreement, Dragon."_

 _Wufei's eyes fixed on the collar in morbid fascination. He couldn't move, couldn't do anything but stare. Laughter bubbled up inside of him, but he pushed it down firmly. Chang Wufei had never been the hysterical type. He was not about to start now._

 _Even when Heaven was merciless and the Fates conspired against him._

 _Absently, he heard Treize tapping his sword gently against his long boot. Tap, tap, tap. Consistent, insistent, like the ticking of a clock. Slowly, Wufei reached out his hand to pick up the collar; the slender circle was the heaviest weight he had ever held._

 _He had lost._

 _His fingers were shaking when he lifted the collar to fit it around his own neck and, try as he might, he couldn't connect the lock. A pair of larger hands covered his own and with a small 'click' the band locked around his neck._

 _He had lost everything._

 _Strong arms encircled his waist, warms lips kissing his neck at the point where the hard collar met soft skin. The arms tightened, imprisoning him, and in his ear Treize's voice was warm and satisfied. "Welcome to my life, Dragon."_

 _\----------_

 _Treize poured two glasses of red wine and handed one to Wufei. Wufei took the glass without a word, the dark liquid shone like precious ruby._

 _"What happens now?" he asked._

 _"Now we're going to have a little wine." Treize smiled. "You'll like this. Leoville Las Cases AC 138. It's a very good year."_

 _"In honour of your victory?" Wufei's voice was hollow._

 _Treize lifted his eyes to Wufei’s face, "To strength and sacrifice."_

 _Wufei's own eyes shadowed and he hung his head. "I don't believe I am worthy of such a toast." He shook the wine in hand, mesmerised by the swirling red liquid. Finally, Wufei shook his head, taking his eyes off the ruby liquid and looked up to Treize, marshalling his remain strength. "Why don't we stop playing at this charade? Why don't you tell me, plainly, what you want of me?"_

 _Treize was silent for a time, putting away his wineglass and crossing the room to stand in front of Wufei, standing so close that Wufei had to look up to see into his eyes._

 _"I thought," Treize began, "that you understood the terms." He traced a finger along the smooth curve of the collar. "But I see that you need clarification."_

 _Wufei watched, paralysed, as Treize's face came closer and closer until finally, after an eternity of dreaded anticipation, Treize's lips covered his own._

 _The kiss tasted strangely like betrayal._

 _Before that moment, despite the heat in Treize's eyes and the implications of his words, despite the insinuation presented by the gold collar, Wufei hadn't really believed this of  
Treize, couldn't believe it of someone he thought of as honourable, no matter how tainted that honour was._

 _The hot, hungry mouth busy that was devouring his own drove away any lingering doubts; an agile tongue ruthlessly exploring his mouth, intrusive and possessive. Wufei was sickened, pushing Treize's heavy body away and taking a quick step back._

 _Treize's face was flushed, his eyes bright with a strange intensity. He looked nothing like the calm, collected OZ commander Wufei had thought he had known._

 _"Why?"_

 _Masks descended over the cornflower blue eyes in a blink, making them as inscrutable as ever. "Why not?"_

 _Abruptly, Treize turned and crossed the room to retrieve his wine, taking a large swallow. With his back towards Wufei he cautioned the boy, "The collar is fitted with a tracker and a small bomb. It tracks every movement you make and it is programmed to explode the second you set foot outside this base. It also acts as a pain administrator, delivering electric impulses to the nerve centre by remote control."_

 _Ah, so it was a multi-functional slave collar._

 _A small part of Wufei still couldn't believe that he was being made into a slave - Treize's slave - with a slave-collar to match. "Should I be honoured by this state of art equipment?" he asked bitterly. "All this to humiliate me?"_

 _"No," Treize denied, sounding tired. "All this to keep you." He turned around, facing Wufei. "You asked me to speak plainly, so I shall. Are you going to be difficult, or will you co-operate?"_

 _Co-operate? In my own rape? Wufei felt the urge to laugh hysterically bubbling up again. "If I don't?"_

 _"Then I'll call for the guards outside."_

 _How perfectly humiliating! Wufei did laugh this time. He could just imagine the scene, the burly guards dragging him kicking and screaming to the bed and tying him down, all ready for the Master's pleasure. It wasn't as if Wufei didn't know the inevitable outcome of that confrontation, so he would just save himself the trouble and indignity._

 _"That won't be necessary," Wufei answered with a quiet defiance, dark eyes blazing. "I'll come quietly." There was even a brittle smile on his lips._

 _Treize looked startled, but he recovered quickly and tapped the wineglass. "Drink your wine."_

 _His wine? He had forgotten he was still holding it. The deep red of the wine reminded him of a cup of blood and he grimaced. "Why? Did you drug it?"_

 _A pause, then, "Yes."_

 _Wufei stared at the ruby liquid in his hand for a long second, then took a long swallow, draining the glass dry._

 _Putting the wineglass aside, he looked into Treize's eyes, "Shall we start then, Master?"_

 _\----------_

 _The fierce black eyes looked up at him in defiance even now, when they should be clouded with fear and defeat. He still looked every inch the warrior, beaten, but unbowed. Treize's heart swelled with pride._

 _/Everything I ever wanted…/_

 _Treize finished his own drink and put down his own drink. His hands were steady despite the nervous flutter of excitement in his stomach. He held out his arms and Wufei stepped into them without hesitation, determined to see this through. He felt so right in Treize's arms, soft and slender, like he was made for Treize's embrace._

 _Treize ran a finger down a caramel cheek, the skin so smooth. Black lashes fluttered and fathomless dark pools met Treize's gaze. Such expressive eyes, eyes that spoke more eloquently than any words ever could. And the lips, red and half-parted in an invitation for a kiss... When Treize took up the unspoken invitation and tasted those lips, he discovered that they were warm and soft and the mouth tasted of the unique sweetness of his dragon._

 _The boy was passive and compliant at first, allowing Treize to take without reciprocation as Treize explored every surface of the warm coven of the exquisite mouth, sliding against the boy's tongue languidly. Then all of a sudden, the boy kissed him back, pushing his tongue clumsily but forcefully into Treize's mouth, duelling with the older man's own. Wufei's hand grasped onto Treize's dress shirt, standing on tiptoes to get a better purchase. Electricity crackled between them, heating the blood running through their veins and igniting the passion pounding inside their hearts._

 _Wufei felt hot, his body flushed from inside out. Treize's hands roving on his back sent shivers down his spine. He moaned as those same hands stole inside his loose fitting pants and kneaded his buttocks. Desire, new and powerful, burned inside him as his cock hardened and he plastered himself against the older man, surprised by his own excitement._

 _There was a new urgency in Wufei's kiss as he humped against Treize's legs, his small hands were busy trying to find a way inside Treize's shirt. Treize's fragile control broke away and the onslaught of passion made his head dizzy, his cock so hard it hurt. He took hold of the boy's tank top and savagely ripped it in half, and moved down to untie the sash around the boy's waist._

 _Wufei, startled by Treize's actions, pushed the older man away and hastily backed up. He was panting, breathless with desire, but behind the haze of lust, an uneasiness signalled for alarm. "What exactly did you give me?"_

 _"Just something to help you lose your inhibitions." It was a mild aphrodisiac combined with a muscle relaxant._

 _Wufei closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to clam down his frantic heartbeats. He sighed in relief. "Then this isn't real."_

 _Treize was stung._

 _It was no more than what he expected, but a part of him, the very part that ordered men to kill or die without regret, wanted to lash back at the boy for the purposeful hurt. He grabbed the boy's arms and caught his mouth in an angry, brutal kiss. He hissed viciously, "Then let's make this real!"_

 _He untied the sash around the small waist, roughly pushing down the silk pants and underwear. Wufei, startled by the sudden violence and weakened by the drug, wasn't quick enough to defend himself against the onslaught._

 _Treize pushed the boy down to the floor, flipping him over to tie the boy's hands behind his back with his own sash and using his superior weight to keep Wufei immobile. The boy bucked under him, trying to throw Treize off, his fear and anger giving him strength. But Treize remained unmoveable, sitting on the boy's legs, keeping him still, riding out the wild struggle._

 _A small part of Treize's mind was screaming at him to stop, telling him that this wasn't supposed to happen. But the larger part of him, the part steeped in darkness, revelled in the violence and in the fear pouring off the boy. Wufei himself had agreed to the stakes, he had known what would happen and he had no right to protest now. He had wanted this to be 'real', and so it would be. The reality was that Treize had no need to coerce when he could just take._

 _The boy was getting tired underneath him, as the drug making his muscles easily exhausted, the bucking reduced to squirming and trembling. A thin film of sweat covered Wufei's naked back, making the skin glow in the darkening light of the twilight. Bending down, Treize kneaded the muscled flesh of one tight buttock and took a vicious bite, hearing the boy cry out in sudden pain._

 _/I could easily became addicted to the sound of your cries./_

 _His hands roved over the naked body beneath him, sliding over the sharp shoulder blades, the smooth back, the slender thighs, spreading open the tight buttocks and licking the small opening with his tongue. Wufei abruptly stilled, frozen under the sudden invasion. All his earlier arousal had gone during the ugly struggle._

 _Treize moved off the boy's legs, spreading the firm thighs open and kneeling between them. Wufei lay still, not moving a muscle, his spine a line of resignation. Treize undid his breeches, pushing them down only enough to let out his stiff cock. Roughly, he pushed two fingers inside the small opening._

 _Wufei gasped, which quickly turning into a sob as he buried his face in the floor, biting on his lower lip to stop the tears from escaping his tightly closed eyelids, his hands clenching and unclenching spasmodically behind his back._

 _/I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry…/_

 _The fingers were withdrawn but were quickly followed by the thick cock. He cried out in pain as he was breached, delicate membranes tearing under the rough assault. Blood sliding down his thighs, easing the way as Treize shoved in with so much force Wufei was sure he had been split in two._

 _/It hurt. It hurts. Ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts…/_

 _He had never felt such agony. The pain blindsided him, slicing him open and turning him inside out._

 _/I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry…/_

 _He had bitten his lip completely through, silver tears sliding down his dirtied cheeks against his very will. It hurt so much. Part of his mind was telling him that he was being hysterical, and that the tearing he was receiving couldn't possibly be so bad for the pain to be so overwhelming. But the larger part of him was riding on the sharp blade of agony, trying desperately to shut his mind off from ongoing assault._

 _Treize was relentless, pulling out only to push in with another brutal thrust. Wufei sobbed into the carpet, no longer caring about pride or dignity, just pleading for the pain to go away._

 _/Stop it. Stop it. Stopitstopitstopitstopit…/_

 _But Treize just continued thrust after painful thrust, pounding into Wufei's broken body. The agony continued for an eternity, until Treize shoved in so hard that Wufei felt it in his throat, and climaxed inside his body._

 _It wasn't sex. It wasn't love. It was simply the winner claiming the spoils, the conqueror dominating the conquered, the strong triumphing over the weak._

 _It was rape._

 _Wufei had stopped crying. His eyes were open, but he wasn't seeing anything. He didn't notice as Treize pulled out of his body, untied his wrists, and leaned over to lick along the still-wet tear tracks._

 _Trieze took the small, partly opened mouth in a gentle kiss, so incongruous with his earlier violence._

 _"Mine," he whispered into one small, exquisite ear._

 _Finally mine._

 __

\----------

"Are you going to make him the same offer?" Wufei asked, feeling his stomach knot up.

"No."

"Why not?" Wufei looked surprised. "Duo is very attractive." He flushed red as soon as the words were out of his mouth. What on earth had possessed him to say that? Wufei the pimp - was this what he had degraded into?

But Treize was looking at him strangely, his voice soft. "You have no idea how special you are, do you?" he asked as he caressed one smooth cheek of Wufei’s. "No, I won't make that offer to anyone else, no matter how attractive they are," kissing him gently, Treize added, "You are the one I want."

Wufei leaned into the kiss, tears pricking behind closed eyelids. "I hate you," he breathed helplessly.

Treize's smile was sad, "I know."

\----------

 __

 _The next morning, Treize woke up first; Wufei was still asleep, too exhausted by last night's exertion and the emotional upheavals to be awake._

 _As Treize watched the boy asleep, a rare contentment washed through him. Finally Wufei was here, in his bed, in his life. He was his completely and absolutely._

 _He got up quietly and went through his morning routine. He'd love to spend the day with his Dragon, but it would be better to give Wufei some space after the drama of last night._

 _He took some silk cords from the bedside drawer and carefully tied the boy's wrists to the headboard of the bed. Wufei looked so small and fragile lying there, brows knotted in a frown, dried tear tracks on his cheeks. A wave of tenderness washed through Treize and he brushed the errant hair away from the beautiful face._

 _The dark satin brought out the dark gold of the boy's skin, and the black silk of his hair lying in a curtain on the sheets. He lay bare on the bed, arms bound together above his head as if in prayer, open and vulnerable, an offering made to a God._

 _It was difficult to leave that morning._

 _\----------_

 _When he went back, barely an hour later, after security had alerted him that Wufei had escaped his bonds, he found Wufei standing and staring at the pile of clothing that was set out for him._

 _Shirts, vests, pants, scarves… They were made of the sheerest silk, rich velvet and supple leather… all the colours of rainbow, shimmering prettily in the morning light. It was a wardrobe that would do any pleasure boy proud._

 _Wufei whirled around and the hatred in his eyes, newly born and shining, took Treize's breath away. For one second, Treize regretted the course he had chosen and mourned over the lost possibilities. But there was no point in regrets, he told himself. What was done was done._

 _He smiled wryly. "You don't like my gifts, Dragon?"_

 _Wufei snarled, picking up the nearest weapon at hand, which happened to be Treize's rapier. He pointed the sword at Treize, barely stopping himself from running an unarmed Treize through where he stood._

 _Treize just looked at him, nodded at the sword. "I believe that belongs to me."_

 _"I'll keep it, if you don't mind," Wufei retorted sarcastically, stalking close to press the tip of the rapier to the base of Treize's throat. He had to keep himself from trembling, from anger and from shameful fear. "Pick your weapon," he hissed, piercing the skin of Treize's neck to demonstrate the point. A drop of blood slid down the pale neck, staining the pristine white shirt._

 _"No."_

 _"No?" A brief surprise flickered in the dark eyes, but then the anger was back. "Don't think I won't kill you where you stand, weapon or no."_

 _Something very like remorse crossed Treize's face. "Then let me say this first- I didn't mean to hurt you last night."_

 _Wufei stared at him in disbelief, then he smiled, a bitter little smile. "Liar," he accused softly, voice finely waved silk wrapping around the sharp edges of a polished knife. The air around him heavy with suppressed emotion, "You wanted to hurt me."_

 _Treize inclined his head, acknowledging the truth in those words. "I didn't plan it out that way, but yes, as things progressed, I wanted to hurt you."_

 _The rapier wavered, Wufei's dark eyes illuminated with tears. He blinked hard, his hands steadied again by the sheer force of will. "Pick. Up. Your. Weapon."_

 _"You can't kill me, Dragon."_

 _Wufei laughed, a dry, hollow sound. "You are an egotistical bastard, Treize. Are you really so sure?"_

 _Treize's countenance was serene, not revealing a trace of his thoughts. He opened his hands, slowly, calmly, walking into the tip of the blade. Wufei snarled, withdraw the blade, and then thrust it forward with all his might…_

 _The rapier dropped out of nerveless fingers as Wufei collapsed on the floor, sharp pain shooting through the nerve endings all over his body. He felt hollow, transparent, sliced open with hot burning knives. His mouth opened, screaming in soundless agony._

 _Treize watched as the boy's body dropped to the floor, convulsing in spasms, and resolutely pushed aside the unwelcome sense of guilt. It was a lesson the boy needed to learn._

 _He kneeled beside the toy, laying a soothing hand on the frigid spine, his voice gentle. "This is why you can't kill me, Dragon, or anyone else for that matter." His fingers slid over the cool metal collar. "Our newest invention. It is programmed to administer pain to the nervous centre whenever the wearer attacks with the intention to harm. Once it is activated, it takes about six hours to map out the new wearer's brain pattern." It had been long over six hours since Wufei had put on the collar._

 _He held the boy in his arms, gently rocking him. Long minutes passed, and Wufei had finally stopped convulsing, but his muscles still twitched now and then. Treize wiped the perspiration from Wufei's brow and brushed the stray hair away from his face. Wufei's breathing was shallow, his face pale and his eyes clouded in a haze._

 _But even now he was still beautiful, still able to take Treize's breath away._

 _/I need him./_

 _Looking at the boy, Treize was surprised anew by the knowledge. He had hundreds, thousands of people willing to do his bidding, willing to live or die by his command, yet it was the strong spirit inside this fragile body in his arms that captured his heart._

 _He was going to do things right this time. This time, he would not let the one he loved slip away. Picking the boy up, he carried Wufei to the bed. Every step firmed his resolution. He would have the boy in his life. He would make Wufei understand. He would make sure that Treize would not be betrayed, ever again._

 _He lay the boy down on the huge bed and pulled the cover over him. He went to pour a glass of water for the boy and dissolved a sedative inside as well. When he got back he found Wufei's eyes open and staring at him. The dark eyes were still hazy with pain, but more alert than before._

 _"Why?" the boy asked tiredly._

 _"Because you are mine."_

 _Wufei shook his head, his voice a weak whisper. "Never."_

 _"Never is a long time, Dragon." He pressed the drink to Wufei's lips. "Now drink this."_

 _Wufei pressed his lips together in stubbornness and turned his head away. Treize sighed in mild exasperation. "It's only a sleeping pill, Dragon. It's this or a needle, your choice."_

 _Wufei drank the drugged water with obvious distaste and fell asleep in seconds. His hazy mind only had an impression of something soft and warm sliding over his lips, as Treize took one last kiss, nor did he hear the sound of door shut as Treize left and closed the door behind him._

 _"Sweet dreams, my Dragon."_

 __

\----------

Treize took hold of the boy's chin, leaned in and took possession once more of the sweet mouth. The grip steeled as the boy tried to pull away. A dark, ominous threat loomed in the cornflower blue eyes, his voice velvety steel, he said, "But it doesn't matter whether you love me or hate me, Dragon, as long as you understand that you belong to me."

And I'll never let you go.

 

 

End of Chapter One.


	3. Chapter Two

Wufei closed his eyes, tears prickling behind his eyelids, his throat clotting up even as he returned the kiss. Treize’s tongue was hot and demanding, ruthlessly ravishing every contour and surface. One hand took hold of his chin, the fingers digging hard into the tender skin, and the other went to the back of his head, grabbing onto his hair and trapping him, imprisoning him in this cruel embrace.

And it was _wrong_ how good this was making him feel. The tendril of desire uncoiled from Wufei’s groin, gathering and stretching out through his veins, spreading warm lust all over his body, making his cheeks flush. His head dizzy with want, the ripples of desire grew and converged into waves and resonating into a hunger that could not be contained.

A hand found his nipple and he moaned, helplessly leaning into the other man’s embrace, his arms snaking around Treize’s neck and just _holding on_. Oh, this simply wasn’t fair, how a simple touch from this man could affect Wufei so much when he **knew** that to Treize this was only a game and some twisted idea of affection. The fingers twisted his nipple and the sharp pain shot an arrow of lust straight to his groin and he cried out, “Treize!”

He remembered the first time those talented hands had brought him to arousal, those clever fingers knowing just where and how to touch. Mouth and tongue interrogated his traitorous flesh and extracted all of the secrets from his body. He had mostly been unaware of his own sensualities then, but had been forced to face them in the following long nights – spread, tied in Treize’s luxurious bed, naked and blinded folded under the weight of Treize’s intense gaze. Endured the long hours of writhing and whimpering under Treize’s skilled hands, sobbing his heart out as his body was turned inside and out with mind-shattering pleasure.

He had learned the pain that pleasure could bring.

Treize could be very gentle, sometimes; kissing him with a slow, careful reverence that reminded him of the way he once witnessed Heero kiss Duo. So tender and loving, seeing it had made Wufei’s heart ache. He hadn't understood why, then, but he did now when it no longer mattered.

Treize’s kisses were not real.

This was real, this hard and harsh claiming. The pain coming from his scalp as Treize’s hand tightened on his hair and the rough pinches on his nipples was real. It was real and it was making him _burn_.

He was pushed down on his back, the larger body covering his own, the fabric of Treize’s uniform rough against his sensitised skin. He was naked, but Treize was still in full uniform sans jacket and cape, firm erection digging into Wufei's thigh. Treize loved taking Wufei like this, spreading him out like a banquet waiting to be consumed. And in his most secret heart, Wufei knew that he loved it, too.

A finger breached his entrance and Wufei spread his legs wantonly. /Shameless,/ he chided himself. The finger glided in, brushing against the magical spot and causing a full-body shiver spreading along his spine. He arched, pulling his legs back and exposing himself in invitation. /Slut./ He settled his ankles on Treize’s shoulders. “More!” he demanded. /Whore./ Two fingers in, then three; Wufei pushed down onto the invading fingers, grinding against them. The slow burn inside his channel hurt oh so good…

/Traitor./

Oh, oh. Oh, Treize! Moooore! Pleeeeease!!

He fucked himself on Treize’s fingers wildly and crying out in dismay when they left him empty, immediately the blunt head of Trezie’s cock pushed at his entrance, filling him up again inch-by-inch. It was so good. _So good_. The hardness inside him stretched him almost beyond endurance but he pushed back in eagerly. Treize gasped, his body shaking. Treize’s voice was but a whisper, roughened with desperation, so sincere he could almost believe it. “Dragon, my dragon…” Wufei squeezed his eyelids tight to stop the absurd tears.

/Dragon indeed! Why didn’t Treize just call him ‘Pet’?/

Treize pulled almost all the way out and plunged back in one thrust so deeply that Wufei could feel it at the back of his throat. Again and again and again, hard and fast and furious, just the way he wanted it. Wufei’s head flung itself back on to the pillow, rocking with each forceful thrust. A low, tortuous moan escaped from his throat, and then Treize was there, his hands around Wufei’s face, demanding,

“Look at me!”

Wufei opened his eyes; Treize’s eyes were burning with something more than lust, so dark and passionate that the blue almost disappeared into black, and Wufei was pinned helplessly under that intense gaze. All movements stopped, a feat he would have sworn to be impossible a minute ago. The room was so silent they could only hear their rapid heartbeats and all Wufei could feel was the weight of that heavy gaze.

“Say it.” Voice deadly soft, a silk rope tied around his neck.

And Wufei replied, looking into those intense blue-black eyes, “Master.”

When climax hit, it was devastating.

\----------

Treize had to shower and change again before going to work. Wufei stretched out languidly in the bed, lazy in the aftermath of sex. He watched as Treize pulling on his uniform, the sleek body still moist from the shower.

“What will happen to Duo?” he asked, watching as bare skin disappeared beneath the general’s uniform as Treize became General Khushrenada again.

“He will be treated as any other prisoner of war.”

Six months ago, Wufei would have taken that answer as assurance that that Duo would be treated with the respect accorded to a prisoner of war. Six months ago, Wufei had still been a naïve little idiot.

“I want to see him.”

“No.”

No need to think about it at all, hm? Wufei’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile. Not that the refusal was a surprise; Treize guarded the Wufei’s access to the outside world jealously. Wufei wasn’t allowed to step a foot outside of Treize’s chambers and the door was guarded twenty-four hours a day.

Treize finished dressing and came over to the bed to give Wufei one more kiss. Wufei deepened it and tried to hold on when Treize broke the kiss and started to pull away. Treize gently pried Wufei’s fingers loose and bid him goodbye.

Wufei sighed as the door closed behind Treize’s departing figure. The atmosphere of the room changed abruptly at the sound of the closing door. It became still and heavy in the silence. The walls stood firm, enclosing him inside the gilded cage. Wufei lay listlessly in the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Engulfing loneliness settled over his heart like heavy mists, the long day stretching out endlessly ahead.

He wished Treize were still here.

It wasn’t surprising, really. Treize's was the only real companionship he had had since his capture. The guards outside the door were forbidden to speak with him except when they were conveying Treize’s orders. The only other person who had access to Wufei was Une, and she **despised** Wufei. So despite his reluctant efforts to resist, Wufei had grown to depend on Treize’s company. Stockholm Syndrome, he understood it was called, exactly the result that Treize had planned.

Shaking off the familiar depression that descended over every morning, Wufei got out of bed. At least today he had things to… plan.

His kata had always been good for clearing his head, although sometimes he wondered what the point of keeping up his skills was, if he couldn’t injure anyone during a fight. However, he kept practising, because he knew the day he stopped trying would be the day he **truly** had become a slave. Wufei always loved rhythmic movement of the form, the discipline of mind and body and the purity of physical exertion. His swordsmanship was one of the things that had helped him to keep his sanity in the long months after he had become Treize’s captive.

He felt competent enough to tackle the problem of Duo after the kata routine and a shower. Chewing on his cold breakfast, he tried to consider the situation logically.

First, why was Duo here?

Treize had told Wufei that Duo wasn’t here for him, but then again Treize had told him a lot of things and not all of them turned out to be true. After Wufei’s capture and subsequent defeat at Treize’s hand, the OZ General had made an announcement that Pilot 05 had died from injuries sustained in battle and Wufei's existence as Treize’s ‘pet’ was known only to a few select people inside OZ. However, it was always possible that this information could have leaked to the other pilots. Wufei pushed down the small, desperate hope at the idea – if Duo had come to rescue him then chances were he might even have the proper tools to get the damned collar off Wufei’s neck. Wufei brushed that consideration aside, knowing that he couldn’t depend on it. On the other hand, Treize could be telling the truth. Perhaps Duo’s current incarceration had nothing to do with Wufei. If so, then it would be Wufei’s duty to help Duo escape, regardless of whether or not he could go with Duo. Duo's first priority was to escape.

But how?

Wufei couldn’t set a foot outside of the door without bringing down the guards. The windows were welded shut and the collar incapacitated his abilities to fight even if he could get out the room. The only good news was that he had memorised the layout of the base and had a fair idea of where Duo might be kept. Beyond that, his resources were dismally small.

He wished the others were here. Wufei was solitary by nature, but one and a half years of fighting together in an impossible war had cemented a bond between the five Gundam pilots that went deeper than friendship. Wufei had learned to lean on the others’ strength where his own were lacking, something he had never allowed himself to do before. For the first time in his life he had had friends, people who supported and understood him, bound together by a common cause.

He missed them.

And now, from having the run of the Earth, the Colonies and outer space, Wufei’s world had been reduced to this set of rooms, his life dictated at the whim of one of his most hated enemies. One of his friends was on the other side of the base, probably being tortured at this exact moment. And Wufei was powerless to be of any help.

/Useless./

Wufei’s sat down heavily. His eyes fell on Treize’s personal computer but he knew it would be of no help. He hadn’t been able to hack into Treize’s files for months now. The last time he had, it had not ended well…

\----------

 

 _  
Wufei had broken into the General’s computer, thanks to the skills learned under Heero’s tutorage. Treize’s files were secure, but he did as much damage as he could by tapping into the control room of the base and creating several disasters in the daily running, reassigning the guards and opening all the lock doors etc…_

 _He had almost succeeded in slipping away in the chaos._

 _Wufei sighed as he shifted his stance. His arms were getting sore, stretched up over his head locked to an iron bar. He had been left in this position for over an hour; at this point, he wished that, whatever Treize had planned for him, he would get on with it already._

 _Wufei leaned his head onto one outstretched arm. He was tired and bruised, and his inability to hurt the soldiers didn’t stop them from giving him a good thumping in recapturing him._

 _/But I was so close…/_

 _The large hand that landed on Wufei’s naked back made him jump. He had been so deep in thought that he hadn’t heard anyone approach. The hand soothed him, rubbing circles over his back, then it came around his waist and held him. The long body taped itself along Wufei’s back, enveloping him, enfolding him, cool, hard, metal buttons digging into his back._

 _It was a familiar body, one that Wufei knew well enough to recognise by the lines and muscles, to identify it by the faint scent of roses. A hand running along his arm, long, graceful fingers, soft pads of fingertips in contrasts to the hard calluses between the thumb and forefinger and along his palm - calluses of an active fencer - rubbed and loosened his muscles and sent shivers dancing beneath his skin._

 _Both arms came around Wufei’s waist and tightened, squeezing hard. Treize’s head bent down to suckle the tender skin at the base of Wufei's neck, sharp teeth penetrating the thin layer of skin. Wufei hissed, a jolt of electricity shooting down south, and he couldn’t suppress the shiver of anticipation of what was yet to come._

 _But Treize didn’t move, didn’t do anything but licking and worrying over the patch tender skin. Then he buried his face in the crook of Wufei’s shoulders and just… breathed._

 _Breathed in the scent of Wufei’s skin, underneath the musk of sweat and dirt, and the faint trace of roses that still lingered on the raven hair, the scent of the shampoo that Treize had used when he had washed Wufei’s hair that morning._

 _Wufei was rigid in Treize’s arms, resisting the temptation of leaning back into the warm, solid body. Treize’s fingers were stroking over one bare hip, coaxing him. Slowly, gradually, Wufei allowed himself to relax into the larger body._

 _They stayed that way for a long time._

 _Finally, Treize straightened, letting go of Wufei. He moved around and Wufei found himself staring up into the cornflower blue eyes. Those eyes were filled with determination and sadness._

 _“You know I’ll have to punish you for this infraction.”_

 _Wufei’s stomach turned to ice._

 _The pain that followed was devastating. Every nerve ending of his body was burning, searing every muscle, every fibre of his being with white-hot fire. Wave after wave of agony hit his body, turning him inside out. His vision was gone; he couldn’t see anything beyond the bright pain behind his eyelids. He could no longer hear except for the rush of blood in his ears. The pressure building inside of him suffocated him but he could no longer scream. He was going to explode. Oh Heaven, he couldn’t breathe._

 _Then the pain stopped abruptly and Treize was lowering Wufei onto the ground. It was so sudden that he didn’t register it for several minutes. He was dimly aware that he was shaking like a leaf, his muscles no longer under his control. Treize’s hand was under his chin, tilting his head up but he still couldn’t see clearly. The face – faces? – in his vision were clouded and hazy. Treize was talking about hurting someone, hurting Treize? No, hurting Wufei. About Wufei getting hurt. Funny. Wasn’t he hurting just a moment ago? He could still feel the scorch marks beneath his skin, the agony too recent a memory. Treize was shaking him now, demanding something from him, but his head grew even hazier. He didn’t understand what it was Treize wanted from him, so he only shook his head weakly. Treize dropped his chin._

 _And brought the pain back._

 _It was worse, so much worse than before. He was burning, he was drowning and he was dying, and please pleeeeeease just let him die this time because his veins were leaking blood and his skin was burning off and his bones were breaking into pieces and he would surely die in the next few seconds… Oh all the Gods in Heaven… please let him die…_

 _It was hours, days and an eternity before Treize stopped torturing him. Wufei lay there on the floor, mouth open, staring blindly, trying to breathe. He still couldn’t stop shaking but the convulsions were dying down. Treize wiped a wet towel across his forehead, cleaning away the tears and sweat from his face. Even those light touches hurt._

 _“You have to understand,” Treize whispered. “You have to accept that you’re mine.” His thumb rubbed over Wufei’s lower lip and came away red; the flesh there had been bitten through._

 _Treize dipped his head and pressed a gentle kiss on Wufei’s chest, just above his heart. Two crystalline teardrops landed on the smooth skin as his head lifted again. Treize blinked away the tears, stood up, and retrieved his signet ring from the fireplace. The metal was heated red and while wearing protective gloves, Treize pressed his scorching ring into the vulnerable flesh…_

 _Wufei had no voice left to scream._

 _It was the Kushrenada coat of arms, of roses and two crossed swords, now marked forever into the flesh of Treize's beloved._

 _Treize cleaned up the wound and made Wufei swallow some drugs for pain. He checked over the pliant body. The bruises the boy had sustained during his escape attempt weren’t bad, but it still turned Treize's stomach to see them._

 _Treize lifted the boy onto the bed and settled him in. Wufei was still dizzy with pain. Treize lay down beside him, cupping his hand over the crude brand rather protectively and laid a kiss just beside it._

 _The mark on his chest throbbed dully and, even in his stupor, Wufei still knew what that kiss was._

 _Possession._

 __

\----------

Wufei’s hand came up to his chest, unconsciously rubbing over the burn mark.

He had to get Duo out.

He couldn’t hurt the guards, but they were not allowed to hurt him either, unless he was trying to escape. In fact, the guards had orders to keep him from hurting himself… So if he were to open the door, obviously wounded, one of the guards would run to get help… As for the other… During the past months, his repeated exposure to the pain dealt out by the collar had built up some resistance. He was quite sure he could hit the paralysing point in one of the guards without he himself collapsing. A plan slowly formed in his head, and he couldn’t stop the pleased smile from blossoming on his face.

The sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts; he turned to see Treize coming through the door with an OZ soldier following closely behind him. Wufei frowned. Treize was back much too early - something must have happened.

“Has something happened to Duo?” he asked, unable to hide his worry.

Treize smiled, a rather ironic lift of the corner of his lips. “Why don’t you see for yourself, my Dragon?”

The soldier behind him stepped forward into sight and lifted up an automatic pistol lined at Wufei's head. The face behind the gun was familiar, even with the hair cropped short in military style. The violet eyes were cold as ice. Wufei swallowed, throat dry. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Duo?”

The hatred in Duo’s face was something he had never seen before. His friend spit out one word with obvious contempt.

“Traitor.”

 

The End of Chapter Two.


	4. Chapter Three

Heart pounding in fear, boots heels skipping on the hard surface of the corridors, Colonel Une ran to Treize's quarters, followed by a dozen of the top security personnel. The prisoner Gundam pilot 02 had escaped and taken General Khushrenada hostage. The situation was critical.

The thought of Treize's life held in the hands of that unstable teenage terrorist made Une's blood turn cold. She ran faster.

Treize…

Nothing was going to happen to Treize while Une was by his side.

Especially since she was responsible for this situation; working on a lead provided by her own spies, Une had traced and captured Gundam pilot 02, Duo Maxwell. The capture itself went surprisingly smoothly, which was suspicious in itself; unfortunately she hadn't had time to investigate the matter before things got out of hand.

The prisoner had demanded to see General Khushrenada, alone, a demand that Treize complied with readily. Over Une's objections. During the interview, the prisoner somehow got hold of a gun - Une marked that for further investigation also - and forced the General to take him to Gundam pilot 05.

Chang Wufei.

She had known the boy was trouble the first time she set eyes on him. When this situation was resolved Trezie was going to get one hell of lecture on personal security.

The entire base was on full alert; guards were placed over every exit of the General's quarters. If 02 wanted to leave with 05, it would not be as easy as he seemed to think it would be. She only feared the teenage terrorist would endanger Treize's life while trying to escape; Duo Maxwell had been unbalanced ever since pilot 01's death.

This situation had all the ingredients of a disaster; Une couldn't shake off the bad feeling that something was going to go very, very wrong. But whatever it was, Une was determined Treize would come out of this alive.

 _Treize can’t die…_

Because Une could not imagine living in a world without him.

She scarcely remembered a time when she didn't know him; her world before Treize had been dull and colourless, until he filled it up with his brilliance.

The first time she ever saw him, he was up on the podium making a speech. Tall, handsome and magnificent, it seemed to her that she had waited her whole life to meet him. He had laid out his dream for the future for all to see and she had fallen in love with his vision.

And with him.

She went to talk to him after his speech. He was polite, courteous and charismatic, answering her questions patiently, listening to her intently, and genuinely interested in her opinions. But more than that, it was there in all in the words they didn't say, in the looks they exchanged -

He understood her heart.

For that she would follow him to the end of the earth.

It had begin then, this thing between them, more than friendship, different than love, warm and solid and enduring. They had grown close with each other and grew together, and no one could pull them apart again.

It had been difficult, when Treize first fell for Zechs Marquise then for Chang Wufei, but it was never over something as petty as jealousy. Une would never begrudge Treize happiness, and if he found happiness in someone other than herself, she would still be content. The trouble was, neither of his lovers loved him as well as they should.

Zechs betrayed Treize, betrayed his heart and his dream of a new future; his defection nearly broke the General completely. Wufei had never loved Treize, and it her hurt to see how hard the General tried to show affection to the boy when the ungrateful little brat rebuffed and rejected him at every turn. She couldn't see this relationship going anywhere except another heartbreak for Treize.

Now the boy's fellow terrorist held Treize hostage, and she could not help but fear a worse outcome for this relationship.

Une's lips thinned; Treize was going to do great things one day and Une would help him every step of the way. No seventeen-year-old terrorist was going to get in the way.

Arriving at the door of Treize's chambers, she gestured for everyone to be quiet and take up their positions. The door was locked, as expected. Une took a calming breath, pushing all her anxiety aside. She tapped on the door. "Your Excellency," she called, "are you all right?"

"Lady," Treize's voice was calm, serene in the face of coming storm, "it seems Mr. Maxwell has some unfinished business with his former comrade."

\----------

"Traitor?" Wufei repeated numbly, brain still not quite processing the accusation, eyes moving from the harsh sight of the gun to Duo's face. The disgust and contempt he found there stabbed a raw wound into his heart. Feeling faint, he replied weakly, "I'm not a traitor, Duo."

Duo raked his eyes over Wufei's form from head to toe and sneered. Wufei flushed, ashamed under the scrutiny, feeling exposed and dirty in the obviously expensive and semi-transparent white silks that Treize brought.

"I could never betray you, Duo," he insisted helplessly, knowing he wouldn't be believed. Tears welled up in his eyes; he bade himself not to cry.

He had humiliated himself enough.

"You fucking liar!" Duo's voice was hot with anger, every word a brutal lash whipped across his flesh. "Did you think no one would ever find out?"

Duo moved closer, crowding Wufei. Une's voice was heard from beyond the door and Treize answered her, while surreptitiously trying to get closer to the boys. But neither Wufei nor Duo paid the exchange much attention.

"You faked your own death so you could became his little whore!" Duo spat, gesturing in Treize's direction. "How long had it been going on?" His voice cracked a little on the next question, "Was it you who sold Heero out?"

Wufei gulped, eyes wide, "No! How could you think that!" However much he might have disgraced himself, the thought that Duo would think that he could ever do something so dishonourable broke his heart. "How could you believe that of me?" Terribly hurt, he turned to Treize for help, pleading, "Tell him, please!"

Treize looked into Wufei's liquid black eyes, heart clenching a little at the distress he saw churning inside. He turned to Duo, calm and smooth, with no trace of hesitation in his voice, "Wufei had always been mine."

The shock of this new betrayal shook Wufei, but it paled in comparison to the shock of his realisation that he still trusted Treize at some level in his heart. That was the reason he instinctively turned to the older man for help. It hadn't even occurred to him that Treize might be the one who placed those poisonous thoughts in Duo's mind.

It was betrayal layered on top of betrayal to know that his friend would believe an enemy before him.

Duo's face twisted in a mixture of triumph and fury as he raised the gun, lining it up in Wufei's face…

Hell broke loose in the next few minutes. Time slowed down, and Wufei saw everything happening clearly as if they were in slow motion.

Duo's fingers tightened on the trigger, and in the corner of his eye Wufei saw Treize rushing towards Duo. Wufei closed his eyes, waiting for the bullet to pierce his head. It seemed to be the perfect ending for his wretched life.

A gunshot rang out, but he didn't feel the expected impact. The sound of a body hitting the ground followed, and Wufei opened his eyes. There, in front of him, collapsed on the floor was Treize. A large red blot stained his immaculate blue uniform; the stain spread quickly, soon covering half of his left side.

Duo snarled, raising his gun again, this time aiming at Treize -

Before he even realised what he was doing, Wufei was already moving. Adrenaline rushed in his blood and he made a flying tackle that dropped Duo and him both on the floor. The image of the red-splattered uniform was large in his mind, so large that he couldn't see anything else. A sense of desperate urgency drove him as he struggled with Duo for the gun.

He just knew he couldn't allow Duo to shoot Treize again.

The sight of Treize lying wounded on the floor frightened him to the depth of his soul. In that second he knew he couldn't bear to see Treize die; just the mere the thought of it drove all air out of his lungs and made him go hollow inside. Duo could kill Wufei with his consent, but he couldn't harm Treize.

Wufei wouldn't let him.

He grappled with Duo, ignoring the punches landed on his body, concentrated on getting the gun out of Duo's grip. Dimly, he was aware of the sizzling pain travelling along his nerves endings and fizzling on the walls he erected around his mind, calling for his attention, but he ignored that too; the pain would have incapacitated him if he gave it a second's thought.

He didn't hear the shouts or the sound of door being broke open, all the rush of new arrivals on the scene. Only when strong arms dragged him off Duo did he realise they were no longer alone.

The OZ soldiers subdued and cuffed them both with cool efficiency. Wufei was left on the floor of their suite while Duo was being led back to his cell. Watching Duo's figure disappeared out of the door, Wufei was hit with another horrifying realisation -

He had just helped the OZ to capture one of his fellow pilots.

/Traitor./

/ I could never betray you, Duo./

His mind froze and the mental blocks he had placed around it collapsed, all the built up pain hitting him at once. The sudden wave of agony overwhelmed him, throwing him into a sea of torment, and with barely a struggle, Wufei was drowned.

\----------

On the way to taking the prisoner back into his cell, Duo Maxwell tackled his guards and got hold of another gun.

He was recaptured shortly but not before shooting Colonel Une in the eye.

Treize bent down, ignoring the wound tugging painfully on his muscles, and wordlessly picked up the bloody and broken remains of her glasses.

\----------

It was late afternoon when Wufei woke up; sunrays spread through the window and laid a warm hue over the carpeted floor. Wufei lay on a patch of floor untouched by the light, small and chained and forgotten by the world.

The images from that morning replayed themselves over and over before his eyes, making his heart bleed all over again. The Duo he saw was cold and hard, an empty shell of the boy he had once been, joyful, kind and so vibrantly alive. It hurt to see that his friend had changed so much; it hurt even more to know that his friend no longer trusted him, and that the distrust was justified.

He had betrayed Duo.

He had betrayed everything and everyone he had ever fought for.

Pressing his face into the carpet, tears seeping out beneath his lashes, Wufei wished he had died at Duo's hand, because, even now, even knowing the consequence of his actions, he still couldn't say that he would have acted differently.

Treize. Pale and prone. Blue uniform steeped in red.

The mere memory had the power to make his blood chill and his heart stop beating.

In that one moment, Wufei caught a glimpse of another, a world without Treize, a lonely and horrifyingly empty place. In that moment he knew, he was in love with Treize.

And had been for a long time.

He had called it a variety of names, Stockholm Syndrome for one, the necessity of companionship for another, but deep down he had known. He had fallen in love with Treize, the man who had destroyed his home and everything he ever knew, the man who set him onto this path of death and destruction.

Steel cuffs cut into his wrists and cut off circulation; bruises were forming all over his body. OZ soldiers were not gentle with him, but they were small discomforts compared to the turmoil in his heart. One fact stood clear from all else -

 _Treize had won._

Despite all his efforts, all his resistance, Treize had succeeded in crushing his spirit. Wufei had fallen in love with his enemy, an unforgivable betrayal in his own eyes. A betrayal to both the beliefs he adopted and to the memory of the girl who gave her life for those beliefs. He was no longer worthy to be anything other than Treize's plaything.

Sobbing into the rich carpeting in the fading sunlight, Wufei finally gave up the long struggle.

Love shattered him like nothing ever had before.

\----------

When Treize got back to their quarters the sun had already gone down. The moon was pale, casting sinister shadows over the room, one of which settled over Wufei's body like a dark cloak.

Wufei had been left lying on the floor for hours.

Treize's steps were quiet and unhurried as he came into the room. Wufei turned his back towards the door, not at all ready to deal with Treize. He wasn't sure if he ever would be. As the steps came nearer and nearer, Wufei's heartbeats speeded up, and renewed tears burnt his eyes.

He was ashamed. A little boy who couldn't do anything except to cry.

A long shadow passed over him as black booted, white clad legs strode over him, Wufei lifted his head in surprise, seeing the long, slender legs walk steadily away from him and into the bedroom. The bedroom door remained open and from his angle, Wufei could see the General began to undress.

Wufei opened his mouth, and closed it again.

What was there to say?

Treize had won and they both knew it, but why must he continue to play this power game?

Methodically Treize removed his ruined uniform, showing no sign of discomfort in his movements, but when he turned around Wufei could see clearly the bandages covering his side. His heart ached again. This time for Treize.

His eyes travelled up and saw that Treize was watching him, face pale and tired, but eerily calm, those brilliant blue eyes looking dull for the first time since Wufei had met him. Alarm rang at the back of his mind and he swallowed with difficulty.

 _Something was terribly wrong._

Treize turned, dismissing him without a word, gathering up his robe and walking into the bathroom, with Wufei's eyes burning on his back.

\----------

Wufei waited for Treize to finish his shower, restlessness crawling over his skin like ants. His limbs were cramped from being too long in the same position, adding to his anxiety. Something had happened during the few hours that Treize had been away, and he feared it was something had to do with Duo.

It hurt to think about the other boy, to know that one of the best friends he ever had was suffering at the hands of Une because of him. Une had never been known for her mercy, and one who gave her so much trouble would receive the full force of her anger. Wufei wished he could exchange places with Duo, because surely he deserved everything Une had to dish out.

He wanted to atone, he wanted to pay for what he had done, but he knew for some sins there was no forgiveness. Wufei had thrown away everything he ever valued for… for…

He didn't know what it was for but it wasn't for love, because Treize didn't love him. Treize found him amusing, was inexplicably possessive of him, and the sex was great, but that was all there was. Wufei sold himself cheaply, and he knew it.

Listening to the sound of water running in the bathroom, Wufei wallowed in self-disgust. The only thing that made him able to face Treize was his need to help Duo, however little that help might be.

"What's going to happen to Duo?" The question was tossed out before he could lose his nerve.

Treize stopped in his tracks, in the middle of towelling dry his hair. Somehow, even now, a part of Wufei's mind registered desirability of the man; a larger part of his mind, however, watched intently as something ugly flickered across Treize's face. In a voice completely devoid of emotion, Treize answered, "I'm going to tear him piece by piece. I'm going to make him beg for death."

This startling pronouncement had the force of a punch to the gut; Wufei gasped, hardly believing his ears.

Treize seemed have to brushed the matter aside as his eyes flickered over Wufei, "Pardon me," he apologised in his politest tones, "I had forgotten you're still cuffed."

He walked over to his desk and took out a small key, kneeled down beside Wufei and uncuffed the boy. As soon as the cuffs came off, Wufei grabbed him. "Explain!" the Chinese boy demanded. "Why did you say that about Duo?"

"Because you asked me what was going to happen to him," Treize explained reasonably.

"No!" Wufei shook him, "Bastard! Tell. Me. Why!!!"

Treize grabbed Wufei's wrists in his larger hands; the grip tightened into steel vise, face pressing in until their noses almost touched. The distant, blank look in those blue eyes were gone, replaced by a burning intensity that frightened him, and a low, dangerous voice ground out, "Because. I. Want. To."

Ice ran along his spine, and Wufei shivered. Treize continued. "I have called for the most sadistic interrogator in OZ. He's going to strap Duo Maxwell on a rack, making him bleed for every second of every day for the rest of his life. It's going to be a long life, Dragon. I'm going to make him sorry for every life he ever took. He's going to scream…"

Wufei **Screamed**.

Pouncing on Treize and punching him with his bare fists, all martial training forgotten, he attacked the other man in a frenzy. He saw red, blood boiling with rage, white, hot pain buzzing inside his head. His entire being was spinning in a whirlwind of frantic emotions, love, hate, anger, pain, shame, regret, all jumbled up together making him insane. He could no longer separate the emotional pains from the physical agony; both grew harder and harder to bear as he cried and screamed, attacking Treize with flailing fists.

Treize caught his wrists, pushing him back on to the floor and holding him down. Wufei struggled, trying to bite and buck the older man off him, but the Treize remained unmovable. Sweat suffused Wufei's body as the pressure grew louder and louder inside his head and the he felt dizzy the room was spinning there was no light another mouth covered his and he couldn't breath or Gods too much too much hurts too much I can't breath I hate him I hate him I hate him so much…

It was a relief when darkness swept over him and he finally blacked out.

\----------

Everything changed.

Wufei opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He remembered everything that happened in the last day. He wished he didn't.

There was a pressure on his arms and a weight straddled over his lower legs. Wufei didn't look down; he knew who it was.

"Look at me," Treize demanded.

Wufei didn't answer, his eyes still glued to the ceiling; the curved frames were especially interesting this morning. A hand on his chin forced him looked into Treize's face.Strange, it seemed the older man looked even more tired than he did last night. Shouldn't he be triumphant, now that Wufei was irrevocably his?

Treize's eyes were shadowed, solemn and penetrating, evaluating Wufei while he lay still underneath. "Une is dead," he said.

Wufei's eyes widened; he knew something had happened, but he never expected this…

/I'm going to tear him piece by piece. I'm going to make him beg for death./

Duo.

His heart leapt at this revelation, beating rapidly, and a fine layer of sweat broke out on his forehead. This was bad. Oh, this was so bad. Wufei bit his lip, casting about for solutions. There was nothing. Nothing Wufei could say that could assuage Treize's anger; nothing he could do would savage the situation. Treize was not rational or reasonable where the few people he cared for deeply were involved.

Une was dead.

Duo's life was forfeit.

"Please," he begged, even knowing it was useless. "Master… please…" he almost didn't notice when the 'Master' slipped out on his tongue.

It was only right.

Treize's face hardened, "What would you have done, Dragon?" he asked, "if someone killed your truest friend?"

Anger flared up and he shot back, fleeting images of a flower field and a young girl bleeding in his arms. Another lifetime ago and it haunted him to this day, "You killed my **WIFE**!"

Treize squeezed his eyes shut while the corner of his mouth tightened, but he opened them again and held Wufei's eyes, "I cannot say I'm sorry that she's dead."

Wufei choked, pain filling his chest almost to bursting. A sob broke out of him, crystalline tears flowing from the corners of his eyes, soaking the pillow where he laid his head.

There were no words to describe how he felt.

Supple lips covered his mouth; he tried to turn away, still sobbing, but the hands on either side of his head stopped him. A flash of anger made him open his mouth to protest, and he found his mouth invaded by an agile tongue, attacking him with skill and fervour. Unwillingly, Wufei felt himself respond, his pulse quickened and a slow, delicious heat diffused through his body.

Gradually he relaxed under the kiss, the force of his reluctant love overwhelming his anger and regret. His tongue danced and mated his lover's, the hands on his head loosened, cradling him instead of keeping him in place. The kiss continued on, slow, sure, impossibly tender, a silent apology for all the things Treize would never say.

With a start, Wufei realised the saltiness he tasted on the other man's lips was tears. Treize's tears. He tried to break the kiss, to see for himself the tears staining Treize's cheeks. But Treize pressed on harder, refusing to break contact, injecting into the kiss a kind of desperate hunger that made Wufei weak. Comprehension dawned.

/He needs me./

Coming immediately on the heel of that thought was /I can hurt him./ It would have been so easy, to reject Treize when he was at his most vulnerable, but even as the thought flitted across his mind, Wufei knew he could never do it. Not when Treize was already in so much pain.

He lifted his arms and snaked them around his lover's neck, cradling the other man's head closer. Their cheeks pressed against each other and their tears mingled. Treize pressed his forehead against Wufei's, so close they could feel each other's breath.

After some time, Treize looked up, sorrow softening his face and bright pain making his eyes a luminous blue. Wufei forgot to breathe, caught inside that blue depth, pure and unguarded for the first time. Their eyes locked. No words could have described this moment. For one second they had seen into each other's soul, seen into all the love and joy, all the pain and regret.

For one moment they understood each other completely.

Wufei's hands caressed Treize's face, fingers wiping away the lingering tears. Treize blinked as more crystal drops followed the downward lashes, and Wufei felt the urge to cry and laugh again. Drawing Treize's face down, he pulled the other man into another hungry kiss. It didn't matter that everything was falling down around their ears. At this moment, this was what they needed.

This was all they had.

They shed their clothes slowly, exploring each other's body as if for the first time. Slow, hesitant, reverent, they made love for the first time in early morning light.

Treize slipped inside him with the ease of coming home; it still hurt a little, but the pain only serve to make the pleasure more acute, and make everything between them real. They rocked together, Wufei gasping as Treize hit the magic spot inside him; his arms tightened as he held his lover even closer.

Tears were still flowing freely down both their cheeks, but now they were no longer isolated in their separate prisons; now they could share the pain and take comfort in each other. Their bodies moved in a gentle rhythm, not hurrying, stretching out the pleasure, stretching out this moment, branding it forever into their souls.

It wasn't quite forgiveness, but at least, for this moment in time, they had something approaching peace.

 

The End of Chapter Three.


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